Well, another Christmas has come and gone. We are in Corpus Christi Texas right now. Josiah's brother is getting married on the 29th. The boys did very good on the plane ride here on Monday. I couldn't have asked for them to be any better. Josiah and I love it here in Texas. The weather is so beautiful (right now) - it was the only time I have been in 75 degree weather for Christmas. We spent the day with our soon to be sister in law and her family. They were very sweet and made us all feel like part of the family. Josiah, Ezra, Gina, Daniel, and I went for a walk around Gina's parents property and saw a snake! It wasn't a rattler like we thought at first.
I'll try to get pictures up when we get home - just wanted to say Merry Christmas to ya'll!!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Riddle
What is totally disgusting and most precious at the same time?
Answer: Kisses from Jay! He soaks my face with slobber but it is so sweet!
Answer: Kisses from Jay! He soaks my face with slobber but it is so sweet!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
What an encouragement!
Tonight at church was our cantata (very well done - I might add!) so we weren't sure who was on the list to take care of Dillon but we decided to keep him up with us so nobody would have to miss it. He was doing very well other than snoring. We decided to lay him on the floor (yes, we put him on blankets) on his tummy. Near the end of the cantata he started lifting his head. He kept lifting and putting it down for about 10 minutes. He also moved about 6 inches to the side. His lower body didn't move, on;y his upper body but at least he was moving!! What an encouragement! I think God is showing me small things to make sure I don't give up. Keep praying!! Keep praying for Dillon and for me to be consistent. Also, we are trying to find someone we can hire to help me with house work. After Christmas we want to increase the amount of time we do the program to help him improve as fast as possible. If you could please pray we can find somebody soon.
Thank you so much for praying!
God hears your prayers - and answers!
God hears your prayers - and answers!
Just so you know - we have not seen him do this for 6 months! Very rarely he has lifted his head once or twice at a time in the last 6 months but he has not done it for 10 minutes like he did tonight. This is a big blessing - I had tears in my eyes when I started to believe he was actually doing it (meaning it wasn't a seizure).
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Home School Day 3
I have survived the first two days and am now on the third! It is a lot of work, but the rewards will make it all worth while! Here is a blessing, the Lord is already using our work to help Dillon in small ways: Today I saw Dillon's eyes go from the top on his head down when I had the lights off and a small flash light shining on my hand. Do I think he saw it? I think he saw something anyways! Will it happen every time now? NO - BUT each time it happens it is strengthening his visual pathway. I also put him on the inclined floor (I call it a ramp for future reference) this morning. I have been putting him on it 8 times a day. This morning he actually moved his left arm to get down it!!! His hand was upside down (on the back of the hand rather than the palm, but who cares - he moved!) Will he do this every time now? NO but every time he does he is learning that he can move himself.
I want to share the blessings we see as we see them. I also want everyone to understand that some days will not be good, other days may be great. This is just how it is going to be. It is going to be a long, slow, hard road. But if at the end, Dillon can see and/or communicate and/or move and/or stop having seizure etc Don't you agree it will be worth it? :-)
Thank you for praying! I know people are praying for us everyday and that is amazing. I am the one here working with Dillon all day - but every one who prays for Dillon to make progress has a part in this. The Institutes said other siblings don't mind helping because they understand they are helping to save their brother's life. They understand it is such an important task and they usually are quite proud of the fact that they get to help. God is in control of all of this, but your prayers play such a big part in it!!
Please pray for:
1. Dillon to make as much progress as he can
2. Strength for Josiah and I to be consistent with the schooling (7 days a week, including the Christmas holiday time)
3. Nurses for at night so I can get the sleep I need to do the school
4. THAT GOD WOULD BE GLORIFIED IN DILLON'S LIFE (AND OURS!)
I want to share the blessings we see as we see them. I also want everyone to understand that some days will not be good, other days may be great. This is just how it is going to be. It is going to be a long, slow, hard road. But if at the end, Dillon can see and/or communicate and/or move and/or stop having seizure etc Don't you agree it will be worth it? :-)
Thank you for praying! I know people are praying for us everyday and that is amazing. I am the one here working with Dillon all day - but every one who prays for Dillon to make progress has a part in this. The Institutes said other siblings don't mind helping because they understand they are helping to save their brother's life. They understand it is such an important task and they usually are quite proud of the fact that they get to help. God is in control of all of this, but your prayers play such a big part in it!!
Please pray for:
1. Dillon to make as much progress as he can
2. Strength for Josiah and I to be consistent with the schooling (7 days a week, including the Christmas holiday time)
3. Nurses for at night so I can get the sleep I need to do the school
4. THAT GOD WOULD BE GLORIFIED IN DILLON'S LIFE (AND OURS!)
Monday, December 10, 2007
Teeth!
I forgot! JayDonn cut his first tooth on Thanksgiving. My mom put her finger in his mouth and said he had a tooth. I didn't believe her, but sure enough there it was. He was 4 months 3 weeks old. About 2 days later he cut the second one. These are the bottom two.
I didn't even know he was cutting teeth - the Lord really blessed us in that he was not irritable.
My little baby is already 5.5 months old with two teeth! Where does the time go??!!
I didn't even know he was cutting teeth - the Lord really blessed us in that he was not irritable.
My little baby is already 5.5 months old with two teeth! Where does the time go??!!
It's been a while...
I know it has been a while since I last wrote so I will try to update quickly. Right after my last post Dillon had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. He had a 15 minute long seizure in the middle of the night and another one at 11 am. We were then taken to CHOP and stayed there for 3 days. He had pneumonia. The doctors thought he would have to have surgery to tighten his stomach as they thought it was caused by his food refluxing.
Thanksgiving was great. We had some trouble with our O2 concentrator on the way out, but other than that, no major problems. Dillon was having a hard time with breathing. He was on oxygen 95% of the time. We got to see my brother-in-law get ordained as a Pastor. And of course I held my nephew. He was so tiny it felt like I wasn't holding anything at all! Josiah's parents and sister also came to Ohio for a two days. It was a good time to see family!
After we got home, I took Dillon to CHOP for the Upper GI (to see if he was refluxing food) and Dillon's oxygen level dropped. They started yelling for a nurse and needless to say we ended up in the ICU again. This time I told them I thought his new seizure drug was making him so tired that he couldn't breath. They took him off of it and he has been doing much better. We also took him off one of his reflux medicines since the upper GI showed he was not refluxing and since the doctor said it could be causing seizures. His breathing is much better and his seizures have decreased.
Last week we went to classes at The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, which is right outside of Philly. All I can say is WOW!!! Josiah and I learned so much. We finally have some "tools" in our "toolbox" to try to use to help Dillon. No body has given us anything to do to try to help him, doctors think there is nothing you can do to help a brain injury. Thank you to Mom K, Hannah, Mrs. Y, and Anne for babysitting for those long days!
I have started our new program with Dillon today. It seems to take me about 45 minutes every other hour from 9am-7pm. We will adjust this as it seems best, but this is where I am starting. Only 7% of the time do they see no significant improvement (usually there is some improvement, but not enough to be significant). 26% of the time the child becomes completely well!!!! God is in control, He knows if this will work or not. Josiah and I are going to really work this for 6 months to see if it helps. It really brings the family together even more as it requires all of us to work together if we are going to have a chance at changing Dillon's life forever! Please pray for strength and consistency for us and for improvement with Dillon. We have to do this 7 days a week, we cannot take breaks or it will only make it so much harder for Dillon. Think of it as working up to running 10 miles. If you work everyday it gets easier and easier, but if you take weekends off Monday it is so much harder again. We will also have to continue it over Christmas break. I won't go into too many details here on what it is we are doing, but if you want to know please ask me. Basically we stimulate Dillon on every level neurologically he is at and work towards the next level. If you have a brain injured child (anything from can't read, to eyes not being straight, to as severe as Dillon) please contact me about these Institutes. According to how they taught us to evaluate our child, Dillon is 100% injured. He is functioning at less than newborn, or 0% of where he should be. What they have taught us is amazing - it just makes sense. They have helped so many people. Praise the Lord for the incredible minds he gave them to learn these things! There were parents from 13 states, and 5 continents there, we were able to give out many of "Dillon's Journey". Please pray God would use us in their lives.
This is Glenn Doman, the founder of the Institues (we handed him Dillon's story and he started to read it), his son Douglas and daughter Janet and his wife Katie (standing). Please pray God would use Dillon's story. Dr. Doman is 88 years old!
Thanksgiving was great. We had some trouble with our O2 concentrator on the way out, but other than that, no major problems. Dillon was having a hard time with breathing. He was on oxygen 95% of the time. We got to see my brother-in-law get ordained as a Pastor. And of course I held my nephew. He was so tiny it felt like I wasn't holding anything at all! Josiah's parents and sister also came to Ohio for a two days. It was a good time to see family!
After we got home, I took Dillon to CHOP for the Upper GI (to see if he was refluxing food) and Dillon's oxygen level dropped. They started yelling for a nurse and needless to say we ended up in the ICU again. This time I told them I thought his new seizure drug was making him so tired that he couldn't breath. They took him off of it and he has been doing much better. We also took him off one of his reflux medicines since the upper GI showed he was not refluxing and since the doctor said it could be causing seizures. His breathing is much better and his seizures have decreased.
Last week we went to classes at The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, which is right outside of Philly. All I can say is WOW!!! Josiah and I learned so much. We finally have some "tools" in our "toolbox" to try to use to help Dillon. No body has given us anything to do to try to help him, doctors think there is nothing you can do to help a brain injury. Thank you to Mom K, Hannah, Mrs. Y, and Anne for babysitting for those long days!
I have started our new program with Dillon today. It seems to take me about 45 minutes every other hour from 9am-7pm. We will adjust this as it seems best, but this is where I am starting. Only 7% of the time do they see no significant improvement (usually there is some improvement, but not enough to be significant). 26% of the time the child becomes completely well!!!! God is in control, He knows if this will work or not. Josiah and I are going to really work this for 6 months to see if it helps. It really brings the family together even more as it requires all of us to work together if we are going to have a chance at changing Dillon's life forever! Please pray for strength and consistency for us and for improvement with Dillon. We have to do this 7 days a week, we cannot take breaks or it will only make it so much harder for Dillon. Think of it as working up to running 10 miles. If you work everyday it gets easier and easier, but if you take weekends off Monday it is so much harder again. We will also have to continue it over Christmas break. I won't go into too many details here on what it is we are doing, but if you want to know please ask me. Basically we stimulate Dillon on every level neurologically he is at and work towards the next level. If you have a brain injured child (anything from can't read, to eyes not being straight, to as severe as Dillon) please contact me about these Institutes. According to how they taught us to evaluate our child, Dillon is 100% injured. He is functioning at less than newborn, or 0% of where he should be. What they have taught us is amazing - it just makes sense. They have helped so many people. Praise the Lord for the incredible minds he gave them to learn these things! There were parents from 13 states, and 5 continents there, we were able to give out many of "Dillon's Journey". Please pray God would use us in their lives.
This is Glenn Doman, the founder of the Institues (we handed him Dillon's story and he started to read it), his son Douglas and daughter Janet and his wife Katie (standing). Please pray God would use Dillon's story. Dr. Doman is 88 years old!
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